Mining machine having rotary cutter mounted for increased vertical and lateral range of cutting



3,411,153?,l NCREASED F. WEBSTER MINING MACHINE HAVING ROTARY CUTTERMOUNTED FOR I VERTICAL AND LATERAL RANGE OF CUTTING Filedl Nov. 8. 1966lSheet Z f 4 Q Q HQN II IIII .l .IIIII Q A m6 u., Y II I.I

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March 18, 1969 F, WEBSTER 3,433,533

' MINING MACHINE HAVING ROTARY CUTTER MOUNTED FOR INCREASED VERTICAL ANDLATERAL RANGE 0F CUTTING Filed Nov. 8. 1966 Sheet L of 4 /A/VE/VTO? 5 YWala@ Caf; 9m v www @muy March 1s, 1969 F. WEBSTER MINING MACHINE HAVINGROTARY CUTTER MOUNTED FOR INCREASED VERTICAL AND LATERAL RANGE OFCUTTING www 3,433,533 NcREAsED F. WEBSTER ROTARY CUT March 18,1969

MINING MACHINE HAVING TER MOUNTED FOR I VERTICAL AND LATERAL lRANGE OFCUTTING Sheet` Filed Nov. 8, 1966 United States Patent 47,608/ 65 U.S.Cl. 299-56 11 Claims Int. Cl. E21c 1/02, 25/08, 29/00 ABSTRACT 0F THEDISCLOSURE Mining machine having a base, a forwardly extending armpivoted at its rear end to the base, means for moving such arm to anydesired location between limits of maximum swing of its forward end withrespect to its pivoted end, a guide bar secured to the forward end ofsuch arm and extending parallel to the arm pivot, such that the guidebar serves as a slideway, an extension bar mounted on and slidablelengthwise of the guide bar, a carrier mounted on and slidablelengthwise of the extension bar and carrying a cutting head rotatablythereon for rotation about an axis extending forwardly from theextension bar, and means for rotating the cutting head and for movingthe extension bar lengthwise of the guide bar whereby the extension barmay extend beyond a given end of the guide bar, and means for moving thecarrier for the cutting head lengthwise of the extension bar.

This invention relates to mining machines of the type having aforwardly-mounted cutting head, rotatable about an axis extending in thefore-and-aft direction of the machine, to be advanced generally axiallyinto the face of the mineral to be mined and also to be moved in anydirection transversely to the axis to remove mineral over an area theheight and width of which are represented by the respective -verticaland horizontal ranges of movement of the head, plus the diameter of thehead in each case.

According to the present invention, a mining machine of the typereferred to comprises a base, a forwardly extending arm pivoted to thebase at its rear end, means for moving the arm to and positioning it inany desired location between limits of maximum swing of its forward endwith respect to its pivoted end, a guide bar secured to the forward endof the arm and extending parallel to the pivot for the arm, the guidebar being constituted as a slideway, an extension bar mounted on andslidable lengthwise of the guide bar, a carrier mounted on and slidablelengthwise of the extension bar, a cutting head rotatably mounted on thecarrier on an axis extending forwardly from the extension bar, means forrotating the cutting head, and means for moving the extension barlengthwise of the guide bar to positions in which its ends lie beyondthe respective ends of the guide bar, and means for moving the carrierlengthwise of the extension bar.

The pivoted arm is preferably duplex, and two side members may providefor pivot connections widely spaced with respect to the Width of thebase of the machine and similarly widely spaced securing points to theguide bar.

By positioning of the cutting head at either extreme end of theextension bar, and by movement of the extension bar along the guide barto bring that extreme end beyond the corresponding end of the guide bar,the cutting range of the head can be made to extend beyond the length ofthe guide bar itself. Thus the guide bar may be of modest length andnegotiable into any working into which the machine frame can readilypass and the machine is capable of cutting over an area that is notrestricted by the dimensions to which the machine frame and its guidebar must be restricted for freedom of maneuvering, avoidance of roofsupports, provision of accessibility of the working space to attendantoperatives, and so on.

When the cutting head has been located opposite a suitable startinglocation of a face to be worked, and then advanced into the face, it canthen be moved either by swinging of the arm, to elfect a cut determinedby the limits of swing, or by traversing the cutting head along the.extension bar and the extension bar along the guide bar. Thus, thecutting head may start at one limit of extension and progress to theother limit of extension. Since, in general, it is preferable to use acutting head with picks (Shearer and/or point-attack) positioned formaximum cutting effort in one particular direction of rotation of thehead, the head may then be returned idly (and rapidly) to its initialposition, in readiness for its next cutting traverse.

By the available combination of cutting, a single cutting head is ableto excavate a section that is substantially rectangular.

The diameter of the cutting head can be inexcess of the overall heightof the extension bar and guide bar on the forward end of the pivotedarm, so that when the lowest part of the periphery of the head is at itslowest position, viz., that of the floor on which the machine isoperating, a substantial space can be left between the bars (and theforward part of the arm) and the floor, and this can be used toaccommodate a conveyor of the self-loading type mounted across the frontof the base of the machine.

According to a further feature of the invention a loaderconveyor machinecomprises a ramp, two endless chains, each bearing outwardly projectingllights, mounted on the surface of the ramp, one at each side of thecentre of the ramp, with guide means for each chain to form a front rungenerally parallel to the front edge of the ramp and spaced from it bysubstantially the length of the projecting flights, an adjoiningelevating run extending towards the elevated rear of the ramp, and areturn run, means for driving the chains in a direction to carry theights towards the centre of the ramp, and then up the ramp and into thereturn run, and a rearwardly extending conveyor having an upper runstarting from below the elevated rear of the ramp, in continuation ofthe space formed by the two elevating runs of the chains. Preferably,the conveyor is mounted so as to advance and retract with respect to thebase. It may therefore be brought close to the rear of the cutting headwhen the latter is in its lowest position, so as to receive directly asmuch as possible of the mineral as it is detached by the head; and itmay be advanced under the head if the latter is raised the necessaryamount above the lioor, when mineral can drop directly on to theconveyor.

Thus, with the front edge of the ramp urged under loose material piledanywhere along the front edge, or even along the whole of the frontedge, the projecting flights of the front .runs of the chains are forcedinto the material and their movements in opposite directions towards thecentre of the ramp carries the material to the centre, where the turningof the flights into the elevating runs propels the material up the rampin the space between those runs, and carries it from the ramp on to theconveyor. Preferably, the ilights of one chain alternate with those ofthe other in moving upwardly along this space, so that lumps do not tendto be jammed between the ends of pairs of flights, but pass freely intothe spaces formed between the chains and the flights. The flightspreferably have a length equal to approximately half the width of thespace between the elevating runs; but, with the flights alternating,they could have a length greater than such half-width. Preferably thereturn run consists of a rear run, generally parallel to the rear edgeof the ramp and a side run, generally parallel to the side edge of theramp, with a drive sprocket at the junction of these two runs.

Each chain may engage internal guide means to determine the several runsof the chain, the links sliding along the guide means. Thus, with adriving sprocket at the junction of the rear run and the side run, aguide bar with an arcuate guide surface may determine a smooth run fromthe side run into the front run, with a second straight guide bar todetermine the majority of the front run, a third guide bar consisting ofan arcuate portion to determine a smooth run from the front run into theelevating run, a straight portion to determine the elevating run andanother arcuate portion to determine a smooth run from the elevating runinto the rear run and a fourth guide bar to determine the rear run.However, if desired, turning sprockets may be provided at one or bothends of the elevating run. Preferably one guide bar is adjustablysecured so that the chain may be tensioned.

The ramp may consist of a centre portion, to each side of which ishinged a side portion so that, should the machine be used in conjunctionwith a mining machine cutting a heading, the hinged portions may beraised, after removal of the chains and guide bars from theirhorizontal, working position to a vertical position, the extremities ofthe ramp will clear roof supports assembled behind the mining machine asthe latter advances. The hinged portions may be raised manually orhydraulically.

The drive for the chains is preferably reversible, for assistance inhandling excessive amounts of material that may be encountered, and inreleasing any large lumps that may cause jamming. Thus, the return runsof the chains may be used to direct to the conveyor material that maytemporarily engulf a chain, as upon an unusually large fall of materialfrom the action of a mining machine with which the loader-conveyormachine is associated. In any event, the rear edge of the ramp along thereturn runs of the chains should have a raised rim, to discouragepassage of material from the ramp otherwise than by the conveyor, andthe raised rim forms the sides of a trough along which the liights movein their return run, and serves to confine material that is being movedby reverse movement of the flights along the return run. Preferably, theramp is transversely pivoted to the mounting at its rear, so that it canbe raised for transport of the whole machine, and also forcibly loweredto bring its front edge into scraping contact with the floor.

The machine as applied in the mining of coal may either have a cuttinghead of a diameter corresponding to the thickness of the coal seam, or acutting head of a diameter suited to extraction of rock over a heightrequired for the formation of a heading or roadway, as in ripping thelip of rock overlying a coal seam itself extracted by the head in itslowest position of operation. In either case, the overall height of themachine proper can be kept low.

The rotation of the cutting head and the movement of its carrier alongthe extension bar, together with that of the extension bar along theguide bar, are preferably effected hydraulically, as from pumps drivenby an electrical motor in the machine base. The movements of the carrierfor the head and of the extension bar may be under control, so that theextension bar continues its movement (up to a limiting stop) when thehead has reached its own limit of movement to a stop on the extensionbar, thus automatically bringing the head finally to a predeterminedposition extension with respect to the machine. The machine ispreferably advanced and retracted hydraulically as by means of widelyspaced support beams on which the machine base is mounted lengthwise,with provision for steering by differential action of the beams.Likewise, the loading conveyor, its gathering arms, its advancing andand Iretracting means, and the lengthwise discharge conveyor, can behydraulically operated.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a mining machine;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, to a larger scale, partly in section of aportion of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic plan view, to a smaller scale, of the cuttinghead in extreme positions;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the loader-conveyor with associated dischargeconveyor; and

FIGURE 8 is a view in the direction of arrow A of FIGURE 7, with theramp in a horizontal position.

In FIGURES l to 3 and 6 the machine is indicated generally as 1 and isprovided with a base 2, and at its forward end, `with a guide bar 3supported by a duplex arm constituted by side arms 4 pivoted on pins 5in side members 6 of the base. A pair of piston and cylinder units 7,each pivoted on a pin 8 in the machine base and 0n pin 9 in each sidearm 4 serve to support the arms. Slidably mounted on the guide bar 3 isan extension bar 10 and slidably mounted on the extension bar is acarrier 11 for a cutting head 12 having picks 12a with associateddrivemotor 13 and gear box 14. Centrally of the machine is a dischargeconveyor 15 of the scraper chain tyPe with a return sprocket 16 and anelevated rear end 17. Rearwardly of the machine is a hydraulic fluidsupply tank 18 and an electric motor 19 providing power for aconventional hydraulic pump, a gear-box and power take-off meansindicated generally at 20. To secure the machine in working positionhydraulic piston and cylinder units 21 serve to force a lengthwise beam22 to the supporting arches (not shown) of the roof 23 of the working,the beam lying centrally above the base 2.

As can be seen in FIGURE 5, the guide bar 3 is provided with slipperbearings 24, the extension bar 10 being provided with corresponding andmating slipper bearings 25. The extension bar 10 is moved along theguide bar 3 by a double-acting hydraulically-actuated ram 26, pivotallysecured at one end on a pin 27 in a bracket 28 bolted to the guide bar3, and pivotally secured at the other end on a pin 29 secured betweenwebs 30 of the extension bar. The extension bar is in turn provided withslipper bearings 31 and the carrier 11 is provided with correspondingand mating slipper bearings 32.

Co-axially mounted -on a shaft 33 at one end of the extension bar arethree chain sprockets 34, 35 and 36, round the first two of which pass adouble banked chain 37, one end being secured at 38 to one end of ahydraulic piston and cylinder unit 39, the other end of the chain beingsecured at 40 to one end of a similar hydraulic piston and cylinder unit41. Round the chain sprocket 36 passes a chain 42 extending oversubstantially the entire length of the extension bar and passing round acorresponding sprocket 43 at the other end of the bar. The front run ofthe chain 42 is secured at 44 to a bracket 45 on the carrier 11.

The machine is self-propelled and self-steered, being provided with twofloats 46 inside base 2 and located laterally by uprights 47 of theframe. Associated with each float is a hydraulic piston and cylinderunit 48 pivotally secured at one end on pins 49 in brackets 50 dependingfrom the machine base, and at its other end on pins 51 in brackets 52 oneach float. The oats are each provided with a' skid plate 53 and a pairof hydraulic jacks 54.

Associated with the mining machine is a self-loading conveyor indicatedgenerally as 55, having a ramp 56 and a discharge conveyor 15 having anelevated end 58, drive motor 59 and gearbox 60 and confined by sidewalls57 (see FIG. 8).

The ramp 56 has an upper surface 61 with a central area 62 and consistsof a centre portion 56A, to each side of which is hinged at 63 a sideportion 56B. Each portion has a raised rim 64, with a removable portion64A and a Iixed portion 64B.

Two endless chains 65, mounted on the upper surface 61 of the ramp, oneto each side of the central area 62 are composed, alternately of links66, 67. Each link 67 is provided with a lug 68 to provide a pivotingconnecting point 69 for projecting flights 70, composed of two links 71pivoted together at 72.

Each chain is provided with guide bars 73, 74, 75 and 76, secured to thesurface 61 with guide bars 73 and 75 removable, the guide barsdetermining front run 77 elevating run 78, rear run 79 and side run 80.At the junction of each rear run 79 and side run 80 is a turningsprocket 81, powered by a hydraulic motor 82, through a gearbox 83, anda drive chain (not shown). Inside each chain run is a screw device 84secured to the centre portion 56A and to guide bar 74, so that the chainmay be tensioned.

The portion 56A is provided with two pairs of lugs 85, one to each sideof the central area 62, pivoted at 86 (FIGURE 4) to the upper portionsof brackets 87 of two support beams 88, each housing a piston andcylinder unit 89 to advance or retract the ramp 56. Each beam 88 isslotted at 90 revealing the piston and cylinder unit 89, so that pivot91 can be anchored. With the loader-conveyor machine associated with amining machine then this pivot would be secured to the frame of themachine. A piston `and cylinder unit 92 is pivotally secured at 93 tothe lower portion of each bracket 87 and at 94 to the underside of theramp 56.

In use, to cut a heading of maximum width, the ram 26 is fully retractedso that the extension bar 10 moves to one extreme position A (FIGURE 6).The carrier (and consequently the cutting head) is simultaneously movedalong the extension bar to one extreme position 12A by retraction of thepiston of unit 39, the piston of unit 41 simultaneously extending. Then,with the cutting head 12 rotating (clockwise when looking at FIGURE 3)and the units 7 adjusted to put the cutting head 12 in the lowerposition 12X as shown in chain-dotted line in FIGURE 1, the piston ofunit 40 is retracted at a speed dependent upon the nature of thematerial being mined, the speed of rotation of the cutting head etc.; totraverse the cutting head across the face to be cut. When the carrier 11reaches the other end of the extension bar, ram 26 is extended at asuitable speed, so that the extension bar, and cutting head, move topositions 10B and 12B (FIGURE 6) respectively. The cutting head andextension bar are then returned idly (and rapidly) to position 10A and12A in readiness for the next cutting traverse, and simultaneously, thecutting head raised by actuation of units 7. The piston of unit 41 isretracted so that once again the cutting head is drawn to the other endof the extension bar, where upon extension of the ram 26 moves theextension bar, and cutting head, back to positions 10B and 12B. Thisprocedure may be repeated any number of times up to the maximum height12Y of the head shown in chain-dotted line in FIGURE 1.

As soon as cutting with the head in the lowermost position 12X (FIGUREl) has been completed, the self- 60 loading conveyor is driven under thepile of cut material by actuation of unit 89, to elevate and dischargethat material onto conveyor 15, the operation of the loader conveyorbeing described later.

When the whole face has been cut in the manner indicated the entiremachine may be advanced by actuation of jacks 54 to put the weight ofthe machine onto the floats 46 via the skid plates 53. The pistons ofunits 48 are then extended to force the machine forwards, the oatsremaining stationary and the front jacks sliding along the skid plates.When this extended position is reached the jacks 54 are released so thatthe machine again rests on the fra-me 2. The piston of each unit 48 isthen retracted to draw each float forwards again; this procedure may berepeated as many times as necessary.

The method has been described of cutting a heading of maximum possiblewidth for a given set of machine dimensions. Obviously an infinitenumber of headings of smaller width may be cut by varying the degree oftraverse of the extension bar and/or the degree of traverse of thecarrier. Again an infinite number of heights are possible, betweenmaximum and minimum, due to the infinite adjustment possible with units7.

An alternative to the embodiment of machine described 10 consists inproviding pivot pins 5 on a vertical axis i.e., by regarding FIGURE 2 asa side elevation and FIGURE l as a planned view of such a machine(obviously with re-arrangement of the positions of discharge conveyor,

"self-propelling mechanism etc.). Thus, such a machine would be capableof cutting a maximum height ranging from the extreme head positions 12Ato 12B (FIGURE 6) and maximum width ranging from extreme head positions12X to 12Y (FIGURE l).

Thus, the first embodiment of machine is able to cut to a greater widththan height while the second embodiment of the machine is able to cut toa greater height than width so that the choice of construction ofmachines depends entirely upon the cutting characteristics required.

The loader-conveyor operates as follows: to remove a pile of loosematerial, the chains are set in motion by actuation of motors 82 and theramp 56 is urged under the loose material, by actuation of the pistonand cylinder units 89. Simultaneously the tip of the ramp is broughtinto scraping Contact with the oor 95 (FIGURE 4) by 3() actuation of thepiston and cylinder units 92 and the loose material is moved in oppositedirections towards the central area 62 of the ramp. Loose material inthe central area 62 is then urged up the elevating run by thealternating flights 70 and then onto the conveyor 15,

driven by motor 59. The two extreme positions of the ramp 56 are shownin chain dotted line in FIGURE 4.

With the loader-conveyor working in conjunction with a mining machinecutting a heading, then when it is desired to remove the conveyor fromthat heading guide bars 73 and 75 are removed together with each chain65 to allow end portions 56B to be raised (manually or otherwise) to thevertical position shown in FIGURE 8,

so that the ramp 56 will clear roof supports assembled behind the miningmachine as the latter advances.

The span of the ramp may be varied according to particular workingrequirements by employing differing sizes of end portions 56B withcorresponding differing lengths of chains.

What I claim is:

1. A mining machine of the type referred to comprising a base, aforwardly extending arm pivoted to the base at its rear end, means formoving the arm to and positioning it in any desired location betweenlimits of maximum swing of its forward end with respect to its pivotedend, a

guide bar secured to the forward end of the arm and extending parallelto the pivot for the arm, the guide bar being constituted as a slideway,an extension bar mounted on and slidable lengthwise of the guide bar, acarrier mounted on and slidable lengthwise of the extension bar, acutting head rotatably mounted on the carrier on an axis extendingforwardly from the extension bar, means for rotating the cutting head,and means for moving the extension bar lengthwise of the guide bar topositions in which its ends lie beyond the respective ends of the guidebar, and means for moving the carrier lengthwise of the extension bar.

2, A mining machine as in claim 1 wherein the diameter of the cuttinghead is in excess of the overall height of the extension bar and guidebar on the forward end of the pivoted arm.

3. A mining machine as in claim 1 wherein the rotation of the cuttinghead and the movement of its carrier along the extension bar, togetherwith that of the extension bar along the guide bar, are effectedhydraulically, from pumps driven by an electrical motor in the machinebase.

4. A mining machine as in claim 1 wherein the machine is advanced andretracted hydraulically by means of widely spaced support beams on whichthe machine base is mounted lengthwise, with provision for steering bydifferential action of the beams.

5. A mining machine as in claim 1, wherein the pvoted arm is duplex.

6. A mining machine as in claim 5 wherein two side members provide forpivot connections widely spaced with respect to the width of the base ofthe machine and similarly widely spaced securing points to the guidebar.

7. A mining machine as in claim 1 wherein a conveyor of the self-loadingtype is mounted across the front of the base of the machine.

8. A mining machine as in claim 7 wherein at each end of the loadingconveyor, gathering arms are provided to sweep to its mineral detachedat the extremes of the range of working width of the cutting head.

9. A mining machine as in claim 7 wherein the conveyor is mounted so asto advance and retract the respect to the base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,314,722 4/1967 Webster 299-56 XFOREIGN PATENTS 849,162 9/1960 Great Britain.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner.

